Wiper and valve for register box windows



July 8, 1947. c, MccORD 2,423,604

WIPER AND VALVE FOR REGISTER BOX WINDOWS Filed June 12, 1944 5 23 5 I0 2 v Z5 2 F142 I; 1 am -27 g 27 I I ll I g 1 Jr J III Patented July 8, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'WIPER AND VALVE FOR REGISTER BOX WINDOWS 8 Claims.

This invention relates to means for cleaning register box windows and for establishing through such Windows a valve controlled opening permit ting escape of liquid from within the register box, but preventing return flow thereinto.

Water meters are usually installed in location where reading of the meter dials, even under most favorable conditions, is difficult, the meter and the register box overlying it being usually disposed below the surface of the ground, with the top of the register box ordinarily well below the surface.

In ordinary use, it has been found that moisture from condensation and other sources frequently collects on the under side of the glass or window in drops which make it difficult, and some times impossible, to obtain a correct reading of the dial. Usually also the packing eventually leaks and water enters the register box cap, this water entraining air and forming bubbles on the under side of the window which are equally as troublesome as the drops of water in reading the dials of the register.

Where water escapes into the box, pressure builds up which would disrupt the glass, and to avoid this, an opening is made into the register box cup through which the water may escape. Unfortunately pressure must be shut off from time to time on the water mains and in such event, a vacuum is often formed in the meter and surface water is drawn in through this opening, which water may dangerously contaminate the water flowing through the meter when pressure is again turned on, and may even be drawn into the mains and contaminate a much larger area. Where such water does enter, even though it be uncontaminated, it is usually muddy and clouds the glass, which must be cleared before the dials can be read, this clouding often being so bad that the window must be removed before the register can be read, this often, owing to the fallibility of human endeavor, being accomplished by breaking the glass. The presence of this foreign matter also rapidly destroys the working parts of the register.

The objects of the present invention are:

To provide through the window an opening through which water leaking from the meter into register box may escape, the opening in the register box cup being dispensed with, or if such already exists, being plugged to eliminate it, and to provide in connection with the opening through the window, a valve opening under exit pressure and seating against return flow;

To provide a cleaning device which in part iii underlies the window and is in cleaning contact therewith, and in part extends through the window into accessible relation for manual manipulation.

A further object of this invention-is to provide in connection with a register box a window wiper which is rotatably supported at the center of the window, whereby all (if that portion of the glass overlying the dials may be cleaned by a single rotation of the Wiper.

In the usual construction of register boxes also, the window is placed so close to the top of the dials, and the top of the register box is so close to the top of the window that an extremely limited space is left in which to place a cleaning device and a valve.

It is a further object of the invention to make a cleaning device and valve of such limited overall depth that they may be installed in the limited available spaces below and above the window in existing registers.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished, and the manner of their accomplishment, will readily be understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a section of Figure 2 on line I-I, showing a typical register box for a water meter.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on the line IIII of Fig. 1, showing the register box and window in section and my device applied to the window thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device as initially formed and applied to the window; a section of the valve disc and fragmentary section of the window being shown;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device; and

Fig. 5 an end elevation before installation.

The register box shown is intended to indicate a typical type of register box with the enclosed dials and transparent window covering such dials.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals:

H is the casing or box of the register with a removable cover l0, l2 the register box cup, and 3 a transparent window through which readings indicated on the dial l5 are made. Should the box or cup have a drain opening ll, this opening is closed and sealed by a plug l9.

In my device the window I3 is provided with a central aperture 2i, with a wiper arm 23 underlying the dial, and with a disc-like valve 25, preferably of leather or rubber, overlying the opening in the window and the window mmed ately around the opening. The wiper arm 23 is preferably an integral part of a resilient wire, one end portion of the wire being reversely bent to form the wiper arm, and an arm carrier 21, substantially in U-relation in plan, disposed with the base of the U outward, the arm carrier extending from the base of the U inward toward the window aperture and diverging from the window. The wire is bent to form a post 29 passing upward through the aperture in the window and through a central opening in the valve disc 25, the disc opening being of such size that it will tightly fit around the post 29 of the wiper and seal the disc to the post.

Above the disc the wire is bent horizontally at 3| along the top of the disc and bent to form a horizontal coil 33 overlying and seated against the disc, and from this coil is extended to form an overlying arm 35, roughly parallel to the underlying wiper and arm 27 and about midway the length of the wiper is transversely bent to form a stabilizing arm 31.

Initially one end portion of the wire is bent into the U-shape described, to form the wiper arm 23 and the arm carrier 21, and adjacent the free end of the wiper arm is bent upward to form the post 29. At the upper end of the post the wire is bent at right angles to form a portion 31A from which the part 3| and coil 33 are to be formed, the outer portion 313 of the portion 31A is downwardly deflected, substantially the thickness of the disc, and from this portion the stabilizing arm 37 is bent at right angles. The post is made substantially longer than the thickness of the window and disc, and the angle between the post and the arm carrier such (Fig. that the wiper arm contacts the under side of the window and must be deflected downward to permit completion of insertion of the post through the window and establish subsequent contacting pressures.

In installing the device, the stabilizing arm portion 3'! of the wiper, bent as described above, and as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, is threaded upward through the window opening and the disc, and the portion 31A and the post 29 are similarly and consecutively so threaded, bringing the wiper arm 23 into deflected contact with the under side of the window, and the portion 3|A into overlying contact with the top of the disc 25.

Overlying the disc the part SI of the portion MA is held, and the wire bent to form the coil 33, this coiling being continued until the arm portion 35 of the wire lies substantially parallel with the underlying wiper arm 23, and the stabilizing arm 3! lies along the upper side of the window in overlying relation and transverse to the wiper arm.

Windows so equipped are inserted in usual manner in the register boxes. When thus inserted the underlying portions of the device clear the tops of the register hands and the overlying portions are housed below the level of the register box cover.

When the wiper has been so installed, the resiliency of the wire holds the valve disc snugly against the top of the window and the wiper arm 23 against the under side of the window, the overlying arm insuring the seating of the upper arm throughout its length, and the arm 31 stabilizing against transverse eccentricity.

In cleaning the window, the overlying arm 35 serves as a handle through which the underlying wiper 23 may be shifted around and wipe off the underside of the window. Should leakage through the stuffing box of the meter fill the register box and establish pressure therewithin, the valve disc 25 is raised from its seat against the resilient pressure exerted on it and the liquid escapes, on cessation of internal pressure, the valve disc seats and effectually prevents entrance of liquid from the outside.

I claim:

1. In a register box having a window through which dials of the register are read, and which window is apertured, and walls cooperating with said window to eifect, except for said aperture, a sealed enclosure; a disc valve seated on said window over and around said opening, said disc having therethrough an opening relatively smaller than said window opening, a length of resilient wire of diameter to loosely pass through said window aperture and to pass through and seal said disc opening, one end portion of said Wire being bent back along itself to form a wiper arm lying along the under side of said window, and a carrier arm, said carrier arm extending inward from the outer end of said wiper arm toward said window opening and diverging downwardly from said window; adjacent the inner end of said carrier arm, said wire being bent upward at right angles to said window and extended through said aperture, and, in sealed relation, through said disc, said wire above said disc being horizontally coiled t0 overlie said disc, and thence being extended outwardly roughly parallel with said underlying arms and downwardly to contact said window substantially midway the length of said arms, and being bent transversely along said window to form a stabilizing arm overlying said wiper arm the length of the vertical portion of said wire, and its angular relation to said carrier and wiper arms being such as to urge said disc and said wiper respectively against the upper and under surfaces of said window.

2. In a register box having a window through which dials of the register are read, a said window which is centrally apertured, and a disc valve seated on said window around said opening, said disc having a relatively much smaller opening therethrough, a length of resilient wire of diametel to loosely pass through said window aperture and to pass through and seal said disc opening, one end portion of said wire being bent back along itself to form a wiper arm adapted to lie along the underside of said window; adjacent the free end of said arm, said wire being bent upward at right angles to, and disposed through said window aperture, and in sealed relation through said said wire above said disc being coiled to overlie and urge said disc into seating relation against said window, and thence being laterally extended and downwardly bent to contact said window substantially midway the length of said underlying arm, and being bent to lie along "16 surface of said window transverse to said wiper arm, to form a stabilizing arm, the length of the vertical portion of said wire being greats than the thickness of said window and disc.

3. The combination with a window having an aperture therethrough, a pressure relief valve seated against one surface of said window over and around said aperture, said valve having therethrough an opening relatively smaller than window aperture, a wiper bar disposed suo stantially radially to said aperture and seated against the opposite surface of said Window, a handle member overlying said wiper and against the first said surface of said window, and extend-- ing into overlying seating relation against said valve, thence in sealed relation through said valve opening, loosely through said window aperture and therebelow, and thence laterally into carrying engagement with said wiper, said member between said aperture and said wiper engagement Fbeing resilient and flexed to hold said wiper against said window and to urge said valve against the opposite side thereof.

4. The combination with a window having an aperture therethrough, a pressure relief valve seated against one surface of said window over and around said aperture, said valve having therethrough an opening relatively smaller than said window aperture, wiper means disposed substantially radially to said aperture and seated against the opposite surface of said window, a resilient member extending loosely through said window aperture and in sealed relation through said valve engaging against said valve and oppositely secured to said wiper means, and urging them oppositely against the window surfaces on which they are respectively seated, said member extending from said valve into engagement with the first mentioned said window surface in overlying relation with said wiper means, and serving as an actuating handle for said wiper.

5. In a window wiper and valve; a window hav ing a hole therethrough, a disc pressure relief valve against one surface of said window over and around said hole, a wiper bar against the opposite surface of said window, means resiliently urging said valve and said bar against said window, said means being secured to said bar, extending loosely through said hole and in sealed relation through said valve, and laterally from said valve into overlying relation with said bar and forming a handle for actuating said bar.

6. In a register box having a window through which dials of the register are read, said window being apertured, and a disc valve seated on said Window around said opening, said disc hav ing a relatively much smaller opening therethrough, a length of resilient wire of diameter to loosely pass through said window aperture and to pass through and seal said disc opening, one end portion of said wire being bent back along itself to form a wiper adapted to lie along the underside of said window; adjacent the free end of said wiper, said wire being bent upward at right angles to, and disposed through said window aperture, and in sealed relation through said disc, said wire above said disc being bent to overlie and urge said disc into seating relation against said window, and thence being laterally extended and downwardly bent to contact said window 6 substantially midway the length of said wiper, the length of the vertical portion of said wire being greater than the thickness of said window and disc.

'7, In a register box having a window through which dials of the register are read, said window being apertured, and a disc valve seated on said window over and around said opening, said disc having a relatively much smaller opening therethrough, a length of resilient wire of diameter to loosely pass through said window aperture and to pass through and seal said disc opening, said wire having a central portion of greater length than the thickness of said valve and window extending loosely through said window aperture, and in sealed relation through said disc, and laterally extending handle and wiper portions respectively overlying said disc and window and underlying said window, said overlying handle portion being conformed to seat against said disc and extending into contact with said window, and said underlying wiper portion converging into wiper contact with said window and resiliently urging said valve into sealing contact with said window.

8. In a register box having a window through which dials of the register are read; said window being apertured, and a disc valve of pliable material seated on the outer side of said window over and around said opening, a length of resilient wire of diameter to loosely pass through said window aperture disposed therethrough, and forced in sealed relation through said disc, said wire at the outer side of said window and disc being bent to seat against said disc, and to extend as a handle outwardly therebeyond and into contact with said window; said wire oppositely extending below the inner surface of said window, and being laterally bent to underlie said handle and converged into pressure creating contact with said window, whereby to urge said valve into seating contact with said'window, and being reversely bent toward said aperture, to lie along said window as a wiper.

CLAUDE M. McCORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,017,661 Foster Feb. 20, 1912 2,047,118 Rockwell July '7, 1936 1,368,982 Beitman -1 Feb. 15, 1921 

